NEV
"You sure you have everything?" Ma asked. "Plenty of food and water? And did you get the Potion I left in your room?"
"I… I think so." I opened my bag and pulled the potion out. "Yeah. I… I think I'm ready."
Ma had talked to Professor Birch shortly after we moved here. He had an extra Pokédex and was willing to give it to me so I could start my own journey. He'd also gotten three Pokémon eggs from Route 117 and went to the trouble of getting them to hatch so that I, and the other two rookie trainers, could have a starter.
I walked over to the Littleroot Pokémon lab, which thankfully wasn't too far away. When I entered, a man with light brown hair wearing glasses and a white coat looked at me. "Oh, are you one of this year's new trainers?"
I nodded slowly. "N-Nev Williams. Is Professor Birch here?"
The man tilted his head to the side. "He's out right now, in Route 101, gathering data. He'll be back any time though. No need to worry."
"Th-thanks."
I stepped outside of the lab and looked out north, where Route 101 was located. Over the horizon was where Professor Birch was. Once I saw him coming, then it would be time.
I finally saw a figure emerging and running toward me. But it soon became clear that it wasn't Birch, but rather a girl. I'd seen her a couple times, and I was pretty sure her name was Melinoe or Yessenia or something weird like that.
"Help," she whimpered. "I heard some weird noises just that way. I think someone's in trouble. I want to help but I don't have any Pokémon of my own…"
"Someone up north is in trouble?" the man in the lab asked. "It might be Professor Birch. Thank you for telling us this, Sara." Guess I was wrong. "I'll go. You both stay here and wait for me."
There was a loud explosion from inside the lab. The man looked back at a gauge, the needle on which was veering slowly into a bright red section. "Er… never mind. Nev, can you go and see if Birch needs help?
"M-me?" I stammered. "I- I guess." I went north until I reached the border, marked by trees, between Littleroot Town and Route 101. Then I took a step further, into the wild.
Route 101. I've seen it up close only a couple times but never actually been on the route. I'd always been told that it was full of dangerous wild Pokémon. That was enough to keep me in Littleroot.
Now here I was, looking and listening for a hint of Professor Birch. And then I saw him running, a wild Pokémon chasing after him. A Zigzagoon.
Birch saw me and called over. "Hey, Nev! This Zigzagoon caught me by surprise and I can't distract it long enough to get my bag. There's a few Pokéballs in there. Can you get one out and use the Pokémon inside to battle the Zigzagoon?"
"Me? Battle?" But Birch had stopped listening and was just trying to get away.
"O-okay," I said. I took a Pokéball from Birch's bag and tossed it into the air. It opened and a small Pokémon emerged.